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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: tear · key · cap · wax · bore · present · chip · bowl

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. cap — a lid
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cap — a hat
  5. present — a gift
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. present — there
  11. bore — to drill
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bore — to tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. tear — to rip
  21. chip — to eat
  22. chip — for betting
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — a football final

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com